(Boursier.com) — Following the press release of July 8, 2021, relating to the approval in principle (AiP1) by China Classification Society and DNV, GTT receives new approval in principle from Office Veritas (BV) for “Shear-Water”, a new concept of bunker without ballast water intended for ships bunkering and supplying Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).
The majority of merchant ships around the world use ballast water when the holds are empty or partially loaded, in order to maintain seaworthy conditions. Consequently, a considerable amount of ballast water is transported by ships every day. Even when ballast water is treated, there remains a risk of transferring harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens from one region to another. The solution developed by GTT completely eliminates this risk. In addition, removing the ballast water treatment facility reduces the ship’s energy consumption and its CO2 footprint.
The design of GTT’s “Shear-Water” design is currently based on the size and capacity of 18,700 m3 fitting in two membrane tanks. The design features a new hull shape, “V”, which differs from the standard traditional square shapes used for LNG carriers.
An exhaustive test campaign was carried out during the performance of the tank tests in Hamburg, including speed and power, sea maneuverability and maintenance. A sloshing test campaign (cargo sloshing) was was also carried out by GTT to ensure the technical feasibility of the project: the excellent results obtained validate the concept.
GTT and Bureau Veritas play an active role globally to support safer and cleaner navigation. For many years, both companies have been involved in significant developments, including highly innovative LNG bunker and refueling vessel designs and dedicated systems for this specialized and growing market segment.
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